Improve API Request Parameter Mapping Experience in New PEM

Current Behavior in New PEM

We have activities that invoke APIs with request payloads containing multiple JSON parameters. During API Request Mapping, each parameter needs to be mapped to data from the workflow, form fields, variables, or previous tasks.

In the current version of PEM, the mapping process requires users to:

1. Manually place the cursor on a specific JSON parameter.
2. Click the mapping option.
3. Provide the Mapping.
4. Return to the payload.
5. Manually position the cursor on the next parameter.
6. Repeat the process for every field.

This process must be repeated individually for each parameter in the request payload.

Previous PEM Experience

In the previous PEM experience, the mapping capability was significantly more efficient and user-friendly.

Users could:

• Click the mapping option.
• View all available request parameters.
• Select the target parameter directly.
• Map fields without manually navigating through the JSON structure.
• Move quickly between parameters.

This made configuration faster, especially when working with large request payloads.

Usability Challenge

While the new PEM is positioned as being easier and more intuitive for workflow development, the current API mapping experience appears to introduce additional manual effort compared to the previous version.

For simple payloads with only a few parameters, the impact may be minimal. However, real-world integrations often contain:

• 20+ request parameters
• Nested JSON structures
• Complex payloads
• Multiple arrays and objects
• Large enterprise integration scenarios

In these situations, constantly moving the cursor to the desired field before initiating a mapping becomes repetitive, time-consuming, and error-prone.

One of the key messages around the new PEM is that it simplifies workflow and integration development. However, this experience creates the opposite impression.

From a user perspective, a task that required fewer clicks and less navigation in the previous version now requires significantly more manual interaction.

When developers encounter these types of regressions in frequently used features such as API mapping, it can reduce confidence in the claim that the new experience improves productivity.